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Thursday, April 6, 2017

Security Council Elected Members' Initiative: Compromise Draft Resolution on Syria

Recalling
the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating,
Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare,
and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction
(CWC) ratified by the Syrian Arab Republic on 14 September 2013, and
the Council’s resolutions 1540 (2004), 2118 (2013), 2209 (2015),
2235 (2015), 2314 (2016), and 2319 (2016),

Expressing
its horror at the reported use of chemical weapons in the Khan
Shaykhun area of southern Idlib in the Syrian Arab Republic on 4
April 2017 causing large-scale loss of life and injuries, affirming
that
the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of
international law, and stressing
that those responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held
accountable,

Noting
the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has
announced, in addition to its ongoing investigation, that its Fact
Finding Mission (FFM) is in the process of gathering and analysing
information on this incident from all available sources and will
report to the OPCW Executive Council,

Recalling
that in resolution 2118 (2013) the Council decided that the Syrian
Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire,
stockpile or retain chemical weapons or transfer, directly or
indirectly, chemical weapons, to other States or non-State actors and
underscored that no party in Syria should use, develop produce
acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer chemical weapons,

Recalling
its determination
that the use of chemical weapons in the Syria Arab Republic
represents a threat to international peace and security,

1.
Condemns
in the strongest terms the reported use of chemical weapons in the
Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the attack on Khan Shaykhun
reported on 4 April 2017, expresses
its outrage that individuals continue to be killed and injured by
chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, and expresses
its
determination that those responsible must be held accountable;

2.
Expresses
its full support to the OPCW Fact Finding Mission, demands that all
parties provide delay-free and safe access to any sites deemed
relevant by the OPCW FFM, and, as applicable, by the JIM, to the
reported incident in Khan Shaykhun in accordance with resolution
2118, and requests
that the FFM report the results of its investigation as soon as
possible;

3.
Requests that
the Secretary General make the necessary arrangements for the UN-OPCW
Joint Investigative Mechanism to liaise closely with the Fact Finding
Mission to expeditiously investigate any incident the FFM determines
involved or likely involved the use of chemicals as weapons in order
to identify those involved in accordance with the provisions of
paragraph 5 of its Resolution 2235;

4.
Recalls
that in its resolutions 2118 and 2235 it decided that the Syrian Arab
Republic and all parties in Syria shall cooperate fully with the OPCW
and the United Nations including the Joint Investigation Mechanism;

5.
Emphasises
that this includes the obligation upon the Syrian Arab Republic of
complying with their relevant recommendations, by accepting personnel
designated by the OPCW or the United Nations, by providing for and
ensuring the security of activities undertaken by these personnel, by
providing these personnel with immediate and unfettered access to and
the right to inspect, in discharging their functions, any and all
sites, and by allowing immediate and unfettered access to individuals
that the OPCW has grounds to believe to be of importance for the
purpose of its mandate, and decides
that all parties in Syria shall cooperate fully in this regard; [op.
7 of op. 2118]

6.
Requests
the Secretary-General to report on whether the information and access
described in paragraph 5 has been provided in his reports to the
Security Council every 30 days pursuant to paragraph 12 of resolution
2118. 7.
Recalls
its decision in response to violations of resolution 2118 to impose
measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations charter.